'Tempo' attack won't be the last, observer warns
'Tempo' attack won't be the last, observer warns
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Journalists' associations and media observers have widely
condemned Saturday's use of a mob to attack Tempo magazine's
offices in a display of displeasure against an article in the
magazine.
A media observer predicted that such attacks could become very
common in the future.
The Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) and the Alliance
of Independent Journalists (AJI) strongly condemned the Saturday
morning attack, saying it was an attack against the press and
freedom of information.
"Intimidation and violence against the press is intolerable.
Use the right to respond or legal action instead of violence,"
the PWI said in a statement issued on Sunday.
Also on Sunday, the AJI demanded that police act resolutely to
protect journalists as stipulated in Indonesia's press law, which
grants them legal protection when doing their work.
On Saturday morning some 200 people attacked the Tempo offices
in Central Jakarta demanding the retraction of an article that
appeared in its March 3 edition about plans by businessman Tomy
Winata to renovate the Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta,
which was gutted by fire last month.
The protesters said they were members of Tomy's Artha Graha
Group and the Indonesian Young Bulls (BMI), a youth organization
belonging to the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
{Perjuangan). One of the protesters, identified as Hamid al
Hamid, said they were making the protest because "we live on Pak
Tomy's money."
During the protest, they damaged the office building's gate
despite the presence of dozens of police officers.
About a dozen protesters later held talks with Tempo editors
Ahmad Taufik and Karaniya Dharmasaputra. The protesters tried to
force Taufik to reveal the names of the sources quoted in the
article about Tomy's Rp 53 billion (US$5.9 million) bid to
renovate the market. However, as Taufik rejected the demand, one
of the protesters got angry and threw a box at him.
To prevent further violence, the police invited the
protesters, Taufik, Karaniya and Tempo chief editor Bambang
Harymurti to the Central Jakarta Police station to try to settle
the matter amicably.
However, Taufik and Bambang were attacked later by some
protesters inside the Central Jakarta Police station before the
two sides were due to hold a meeting.
Central Jakarta Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sukrawardi Dahlan
said that the police would take action if Tempo officially
reported the attack.
"We have decided to settle the case in court," Bambang told
The Jakarta Post separately on Sunday, saying that the magazine
had actually arranged an interview with Tomy following a legal
warning sent by Tomy's lawyers on March 7.
Tommy has denied involvement in the attack and said he knew
nothing of the protest, although he admitted knowing the
protesters.
Meanwhile, media observer Ashadi Siregar said that the
deployment of mobs to attack media outlets would probably
continue in the future because it was only the media that
understood the meaning of press freedom.
"Most people here do not yet understand the concept of press
freedom," Ashadi told the Post on Sunday, saying that this was
the result of 32-years of authoritarian rule and military
oppression.
While the military influence has weakened, the civilian
government has failed to uphold the law of the land, and certain
people resorted to brute force to express their criticism of the
media, said Ashadi.
"In the name of religion, money, politics, or whatever, people
will continue to use force against the press," Ashadi added.
The use of mobs against the media is nothing new here. AJI
recorded that 47 out of 104 cases that threatened press freedom
involved the use of mobs during the 2000-2001 period.